Stories Collide - A Stuart Gibbs Story

Chapter 9 - Meeting

Perspective Switch- Charlie Thorne

"Gooooooood morning, Dash!" Cried Charlie. It was 5:05 in the morning.

In order to conceal Charlie's mysterious arrival, she and Dash had slept in the bathroom.The rocket was leaving today. Charlie and Dash were going to see what changed on the way down.

Dash rolled over and mumbled something to himself. "It's so early," he groused.

"No it's not. It's 5:06 AM, May 23."

"2041," added Dash. Charlie glared at him so hard that Dash shrunk back and nearly triggered one of the connection tubes for the toilets. Charlie noticed one of them and asked, "How does that work?" She pointed.

"It's complicated, and I don't have time to explain it to you."

"But I have to go."

"Go to the ladies room. You'll figure it out. I don't feel like explaining it to you."

Charlie rolled her eyes, stood up, and trotted off. Dash nodded off, but a few minutes later, he could hear the tubes, as well as Charlie yelling, "What the heck?"

Her exclamation rang out through the base, waking several people. Dash got up and rushed to the ladies room, pulled Charlie out (despite her protest), and shoved her in the greenhouse.

Hmmm, Charlie thought, once Dash went off to deal with her ruckus.You can grow plants on the moon? Really? She crawled off to examine a tomato plant.

A few minutes later, Dash came back, panting. "You're welcome for ditching those people for you."

"You didn't ditch all of them," said Charlie.

Dash spun around. Behind him was a pretty girl about his age.

"Kira?" He asked. "What are you doing?"

"Who is that?" Kira asked, pointing at Charlie.

"Charlie," said Charlie, holding out her hand. Kira didn't shake it. "How did you get here? There was no rocket coming here."

"Ask him. He knows," said Charlie, pointing at Dash.

Kira turned to him. "How did that girl get here?"

"I have a name. It's Charlie."

Kira ignored her and repeated, "How did she get here?"

"I don't know!" said Dash. "Ask her!"

"Ask him!" Charlie protested.

"I don't know how you got here!"

"Well, neither do I."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" asked Kira.

"Well, yesterday, I appeared here on this moon, and Dash found me, and he told me it was 2041."

"It is," said Kira.

"What!?" Charlie looked from Dash to Kira frantically. "Two crazy people? Two? In one spot? And both think the same thing? It. Is. Not. 2041." "I'm fine," said Charlie.

Kira lept, startled that Charlie had heard her. Kira studied her closely.

Charlie stared at her right back.

"Is she an alien?" Kira whispered to Dash, even quieter this time.

"No," said Charlie.

Kira didn't even bother acting surprised this time. She just narrowed her eyes angrily at Charlie.